Wild Ride | ✔

Not Going Anywhere

"It's okay," Joey whispered over to her as she looked up at him for assurance. Unlike before, their bickering was long gone as he grabbed her hand and held it tightly in his. He was slightly apprehensive now as they were actually standing in the room, eyes wide as they looked around at all the things filling the room, like the gurneys, rolling medical carts filled with tools, and empty IV stands.

"What about what Dad told us?" Maya remarked, still looking around at all the objects with curiosity-filled fear. She kept her hand in his as he dragged them both over to the gurney. His leg was more than hurting him as he leaned heavily on his other leg.

"Dad was wrong." He grimaced slightly, holding onto the bar of the bed so he could take some of the weight off his leg. " Not everyone is bad."

"How do you know?"

"I just do."

"Alright, I'm Dr. Halstead." Will pretended to not hear their conversation as he placed a clipboard to the side of him and lowered the bed before putting on gloves. "Hop up here for me, please.

Looks like you cut your leg pretty badly. Want to tell me what happened?"

"I tripped and fell when I was running."

"Not these two, I hope." Will gestured to Jay and Hailey, a twinkle in his eye as he lifted the bed to his level.

"No, someone else." He sounded uncomfortable, changing the subject as he caught the eye of a woman standing just outside the door. "Who's that?"

"That would be Dr. Manning." Will stopped pressing his fingers against the skin by his cut as Joey flinched at the pressure.

"And her?" He pointed over to the other woman who had just arrived. Her olive skin was striking against the red blouse tucked underneath her skirt.

"I believe that would be our social worker, May." He went back to examining the wound on Joey's leg and Hailey and Jay got ready to head outside to talk to her. The nurse Dr. Manning had been talking to a moment ago, slipped in to help. Maya panicked from her spot by the bed and weaved her way around her before wrapping her hand around Hailey's.

"Please don't go." Maya's voice was so quiet, they almost didn't hear her. Jay and Hailey exchanged a silent look to go ahead. He disappeared behind the glass while she bent down to her level with a look of reassurance to the wild, panicked one the girl was sporting.

"I'm not going anywhere." Hailey rubbed her hands lightly over the girl's arms to let her know she was there for her. Seeing Natalie about to head in, Hailey led Maya over to the chairs on the other side of the room.

"What's going to happen to me and my brother?" Maya questioned meekly, still unsure of what the future was going to bring them.

"You see that social worker out there?" The young girl nodded solemnly then glanced away at the wall near the window as the door opened slightly then closed again seeing that Natalie, Jay, and the social worker's conversation wasn't completely finished."She's going to try and find both of you a home."

"What if I don't want to leave? We just moved here."

"I wish I could tell you it was going to be easy going to a new home." Hailey caught Joey's glance from across the room. The young boy had been listening in on their conversation as much as possible while Will cleaned up his leg.

"Have you ever had to go to a new home?" Her prompted question was full of innocence, yet she was trying to find someone she could relate to.

"I've only ever moved with my family. Even though we stayed here in Chicago, it was still the hardest thing I've ever had to do."

"You moved away from your friends too?" Maya jutted out her bottom lip, then bit down on it before looking away from her.

"Some of them."

"Did you ever get to see any of them again?"

"A few." Hailey thought back to her time at home, although now wasn't the time to get into what happened in her own childhood. " I ended up going to a new school and making new friends."

"What if I can't make new friends?"

"I think the only way you're going to find out is if you try."

"I guess I can do that." As she said that, Natalie finally slipped in and headed their way as Jay and the social worker kept discussing the situation. "Hi, Maya. My name is Dr. Manning. I heard you had quite the week, and I want to make sure you're doing okay."

"Do I have to?" Maya turned to Hailey, pleading with her to let her skip this part. "I'm okay. He didn't hurt me."

"He might not have hurt you, but we still want to make sure you're both okay," Hailey mentioned, which wasn't what the girl wanted to hear.

"I know this doesn't make this better but I think I can score you a treat from the cafeteria when this is all done." Natalie held her hand out to the girl as she made a promise to her. She took it almost apprehensively, letting go when she was lifted onto the bed. "I'm going to check your breathing first. Super easy."

"Okay."

"Take a deep breath in for me." Natalie put the stethoscope against Maya's chest as the girl took in a deep breath. "Now let it out." She listened for the sound of any abnormalities, then wrapped the stethoscope back around her neck.

"Everything sounds good."

"That tickled a little."

"The stethoscope can be a little cold, can't it?" With a little nod, Maya's smile faded as she retreated inside herself a little like she remembered what had brought her to the hospital in the first place. "I'm just going to feel your neck, make sure nothing is going on there. Is your throat hurting at all?"

"No."

"Open up for me." Natalie carefully tilted her chin up and flashed the laryngoscope inside her mouth. "Your tonsils are a little swollen but I don't think it's anything serious. Have you been feeling sick at all?" Maya shook her head back and forth, casting her gaze to a place on the wall by the door as she finished up the exam.